Blastocyst Re-expansion
Blastocyst Re-expansion - Related Videos
09:42
Analysis of Thermal Expansion via Dilatometry
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2023
Source: J. Jacob Chavez, Ryan T. Davis, and Taylor D. Sparks, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT Thermal expansion is extremely important when considering which materials will be used in systems that experience fluctuations in temperature. A high or low thermal expansion in a material may or may not be desirable, depending on the application. For instance, in a common liquid thermometer, a material with a high thermal expansion would be...
10:59
Human Blastocyst Biopsy and Vitrification
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Cited by 36 •
2019
Blastocyst biopsy and vitrification are required to efficiently conduct preimplantation genetic testing. An approach entailing the sequential opening of the zona pellucida and retrieval of 7-8 trophectoderm cells in day 5-7 post-insemination limits both the number of manipulations required and the exposure of the embryo to sub-optimal environmental conditions.
10:19
Derivation of Mouse Trophoblast Stem Cells from Blastocysts
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Cited by 7 •
2010
In this video, we demonstrate the isolation of mouse blastocysts and the derivation of trophoblast stem cells from blastocysts. We also describe conditions for maintenance of the stem cell property as well as induction of differentiation in culture.
01:24
Heat and Free Expansion
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2023
The work done by a thermodynamic system depends not only on the initial and final states but also on the intermediate states—that is, on the path. Like work, when heat is added to a thermodynamic system, it undergoes a change of state, and the state attained depends on the path from the initial state to the final state. Consider an ideal gas cylinder fitted with a piston. When the cylinder is heated at a constant temperature, the gas molecules absorb energy and expand slowly in a controlled...
01:22
Thermal Expansion
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2023
The expansion of alcohol in a thermometer is one of many commonly encountered examples of thermal expansion, which is the change in size or volume of a given system as its temperature changes. The most visible example is the expansion of hot air. When air is heated, it expands and becomes less dense than the surrounding air, which then exerts an upward force on the hot air to, for example, make steam and smoke rise, and hot air balloons float. The same behavior happens in all liquids and gases,...
FAQs
Surviving trophectoderm cells resume membrane transport after warming, allowing fluid to accumulate within the blastocoel. This renewed transport activity restores cavity enlargement rather than merely changing the embryo’s external appearance. Consequently, re-expansion provides functional evidence that cellular activity has recovered following vitrification and warming, making it useful for evaluating post-thaw embryo condition.
Re-expansion reflects the return of coordinated cellular activity in the warmed embryo, particularly the trophectoderm’s ability to restore membrane transport and fluid accumulation. Because these functions must resume for the blastocoel to enlarge, observing the process helps distinguish embryos that have recovered from those with poorer post-thaw performance. It therefore contributes to post-thaw quality assessment.
Cryoprotective solutions and warming protocols are important variables because they are part of the systems designed to preserve embryos during vitrification and support recovery afterward. Improvements in these conditions can be evaluated by monitoring whether embryos regain cavity enlargement after warming. Re-expansion measurements therefore provide a practical outcome for comparing and refining cryopreservation approaches.
When the blastocoel does not regain its enlargement after warming, the expected recovery of membrane transport and fluid accumulation has not been observed. This finding can indicate reduced post-thaw quality compared with an embryo that re-expands. In assisted reproductive research, the observation supplies assessment information before a decision about continued culture or transfer.
After vitrified embryos undergo warming, researchers observe whether the blastocoel begins to enlarge again as the embryo resumes cellular activity. This observation is incorporated into post-thaw quality assessment before embryos proceed to further culture or transfer. Bioengineering studies can use the workflow to evaluate warming conditions, imaging methods, and systems for documenting embryo recovery.
In bioengineering, re-expansion serves as a measurable recovery outcome for improving embryo cryopreservation and assessment technologies. Researchers can use it when developing cryoprotective solutions, warming protocols, imaging methods, and embryo assessment systems. The process links an observable structural change, renewed blastocoel enlargement, with the underlying return of cellular activity after vitrification.